Anyone know any simple, everyday techniques to build stamina? And to breathe better?

[Southpaw16]

I had a girlfriend years ago who was big into fitness. Wnen we'd work out, I had all kinds of endurance problems even though I was bodybuilding and thought I was "in shape." She told me what I'm about to tell you -- this is just a hunch -- but I have to wonder if you're breathing wrong. I know I was. For years.

When you breathe IN, your stomach should go OUT, allowing your ribcage to expand and your diaphragm to slacken, thus allowing your lungs to fully fill up with air. When you breathe OUT, you should squeeze your stomach IN -- think about wringing out a sponge -- to squeeze the air out.

This is the opposite of the way that we are "taught" to breathe (we want to walk around holding our stomachs in, so we breathe "up" into our shoulders and upper chest), but breathing "down" into a relaxed stomach is the way that babies breathe and it's the most efficient.

FWIW, my wife is a professional mezzo-soprano (opera / theatrical singer) and she does the same thing when she exercises.

If you're working out with your abs clenched all the time, you are robbing yourself of around 20% of your lung capacity, maybe more.

When I'm sparring or doing drills, I use the moment when my opponent or I are out of attacking distance -- circling, sizing each other up -- to relax my stomach and get a good, solid double-lungful of air. It does wonders. When I engage, of course my stomach is flexed against an incoming punch, and I breathe shallow.

Maybe this will help.

Thats really interesting. I was just thinking, they always say that body shots tire people out and take the legs away, and I wondered why. Bodyshots force the target to always clench up their stomach muscles to absorb them, and if what your saying is true, that would mess up the breathing a lot and tire the opponent out.

[ferocity]

I have a problem with stamina. I box and I am very skilled (not being ****y, just saying that I think I'm pretty good) I throw lots of combos then follow up with a few power punches. My only problem is my stamina. I can box two rounds pretty good, then by the third round I feel my legs giving out on me and I tend to drop my hands more, my stomach burns, I loosen up too much, and I am completely out of breath. Anyone have ANY suggestions on techniques to build my stamina and also how to breath while I'm boxing so that I don't get as tired as fast?

You think your tired you are, fool your brain. Do exercises where you fool your brain that you ain't tired practice this in your mind. Learn to relax in the ring, pay attention to how you are breathing, if you are breathing when you punch. Are you relaxed or always tense in sparring. Practice on the heavybag, by not using your legs just punching using your arms no legs, mainly getting power just by using your arms remember to breath and punch don't use your legs or if you use your legs just a step to move not a bounce. Thats my advice and their was other good advice here already.

[Hitman18]

I think when I work out that I put too much into it because I'm not relaxing. I exercise but when it comes to sparring I get tired very quickly. Maybe if I relax then I would last longer. I am to tense in the ring which I think tires me out more.

[NJFighter91]

Don't think about how much/far you're running or whatever. I know I can never run on a treadmill because I used to be fat and never was able to run more than 10 minutes. Now after 10 minutes of running on a treadmill, my brain tells my body that I can't handle it. That's why I try to concentrate on my mp3 player music or run outside.